He said: “I’m much more confident and I love sharing pictures on social media now. Since seeing what I’ve been able to achieve lots of people I know have started slimming too.

“I feel so passionate about it that I’ve decided to open my own Slimming World group to help more people lose weight like I have.”

The support worker, who competed at badminton and played football as a youngster, began to gain weight when he went to university and stopped doing sport.

Within a few short years he went from being an athletic 10st to tipping the scales at 19st – causing his confidence to fall.

He said he found it difficult to find clothes to fit and hated seeing photos of himself so much that he often ‘untagged’ himself on social media sites. But it was in May last year after celebrating his birthday weekend with his friends - and having to buy an XXL shirt for the special occasion - he decided to make a change.

Liam Smith, with his girlfriend Sarah Heiniitt (Charlotte Ball/PA)

Mr Smith said: “We had a really unhealthy weekend - McDonald’s breakfasts, takeaways, lots of alcohol - and the moment they went home I knew I had to do something about my size.

“Luckily my mum was joining Slimming World the following week so I made her promise to take me along.”

Mr Smith said he was “so nervous” on his first visit, because it “didn’t feel like something many males in their mid-20s do”. “But everyone was so welcoming and before long I considered them friends,” he added.

“I was excited too, though, because I knew people said Slimming World worked so I was eager to crack on.”

By November last year, six months after joining, he had reached his target weight and had lost 6st – with his waist line shrinking from 42in to 32in.